Myth Weavers is pleased to announce the Dungeons & Dragons Create a Villain Contest! Members may create a villain using any edition of the Dungeons & Dragons rules, and the final entries will be voted on by the community.

First place wins a new copy of the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Players Handbook!

The contest runs from July 1 to July 31, and voting will then run from August 1 through August 7. The winner will be announced on August 8 and contacted via PM. Contest details and directions may be found HERE!

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An old, bloated sun turns in the sky. Its rays fall upon a world covered in thick, roiling clouds, making them glow a deep crimson with its wearied light. Continuous rain and snow fall from these clouds, like drops of blood from an unhealing wound...

The sky is your enemy, the clouds looked upon warily, and sleep is uneasy. This is the world within which you live. For several centuries the great overhead has been feared. Long ago a star fell screaming. There were no warnings. No prophesies. The gods themselves say nothing of it and many took it to mean they were also surprised and no longer worthy of worship. Since then others have streaked across the sky, sometimes several in a year, others separated by scores of years. No one knows when or where the next will fall, but when it does dreams sour and life palls. Many civilizations have fled from open areas to underground, in the deepwood, wherever they can hide from the vengeful gaze above.
Strangely, much good has come of it, like a fire cleansing the underbrush. As such, while there are a great many who now venerate the sky, others simply think it is punishment from the deities. Trade still exists, and fields are sewn, but merchants and farmers are often greatly revered as men of uncommon fiber. A small minority think them men of great vanity, strutting beneath the open sky without proper reverence. Wars are rarely fought as it would mean taking great resources from the safety of the covered cities into view. The common consensus is why war on another when all could be destroyed with but a thought from above.

The main outbreaks of violence come of those from the open moving in on the land of the hidden. Fey creatures have begun to retaliate as mortals push deeper into forbidden sylvan depths. As well, Priests of Ruin are known to mete out punishment to those who venture into the open. They perform raids as warnings or sew complete devastation as an example to others.

It was twenty six years since the last fall, and many had begun to dare hope it was the last. Then three months ago the peace was broken in the middle of the night. A great fireball fell along the coast, destroying the home of the Seven Sages, seers and watchmen for the world. Since this star fell, thousands across the distances have fallen into a sleep so deep that none reawaken. They continuously thrash and scream, as if held in the throes of a nightmare from which they cannot awake. Many have died, while the more hardy can only be nursed as they wither away. Many have begun to change in uncanny and inexplicable ways.

The cult of Ruin has grown bold, attacking even in broad daylight, and fields and villages burn through the land. Many have fought back, however, in particular the roaming merchant city called the Bazaar, or Banzar. Though they have been burnt, kidnapped and murdered, they still move beneath the open sky, trading with the farms turned forts and taking in refugees. They have settled, for one day only, to host a festival and wake for both the living and the dead. A celebration of those who have defied Ruin. A gesture to oppressors that there are still those who will walk where they wish.

These are the events that currently define your life.

NOTE
I have been running this campaign for nearly a year, but am looking to bring in some new blood. This is an edited version of this original thread here that I am reusing.

Character Creation

* 1. What game system are you running?
3.5 D&D at its finest

* 2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be?
A high-RP survival/Lovecraftian-style horror in my own personal homebrew setting. Here is a link to the World Info: ADying Ember.

I know its way too much to read in one gulp, but please peruse it and ask me any questions that you may have.

* 3. How many Players are you looking for? Will you be taking alternates, and if so, how many?
I'm looking to take 1-3 as replacements for characters who have had to leave.

I do not wish anyone to know the abilities or nature of the other until they meet in game, so here is where I ask you post questions about your character: Character Discussion Thread.

* 10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so?
There are no alignment restrictions, and in my games paladins do not take hits because of hanging around with evil folks as long as you work towards the greater good. However, if you try to kill each other that's your look out, though you'll find it'd have been best in the long run if you keep the camp numbers up. You'll need one another.

* 11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it?
As long as you have a backstory to support it, multi-class to your heart's content.

* 12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered, or left to the honor system? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls, and how should they report them?
I'll roll such things as spot and listen checks and others as I see fit, though all other rolls you may do so.

* 13. Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules.
Am using the Defence Bonus from Unearthed Arcana.

* 14. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)?
I want the best background you can conjure up. Those who make their background into a story instead of a timeline and impress me will get bonus XP at the beginning of the game.

* 15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above?
RP is a very important part of my games, with puzzles as well. There will also be no lack of battles, though I expect fights to be RP'd. Something a bit more elaborate than 'I swingeth the sword!'

(I give negative XP to lack of effort :smallwink: )

16. Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material? What sources can Players use for their characters?
I will also allow any Wizards or Dreamscarred Press material, plus my own homebrew.

Here is a link. Do not use the info in the Dying Ember campaign found in the linked thread, it is obsolete. Use instead the links found at the top of this page.

The DM
Who is the Silkspinner? I'm known by a number of names in the gaming community. You may know me as The Vorpal Tribble from the Wizards of the Coast or Giant in the Playground forums.

The Players
Who are you? I hope you're someone ready to be part of an in depth story and add your own chapter. Someone who loves RP and solving mysteries as much as hack and slash. There are many surprises to be had here, not the least of which is the entire world, and even most encounters, are not to be found in any Monster Manual or Handbook. Not all battles may be solved with might of sword or spell, so make a character for the enjoyment of their play, not their strength and power.

Game Description:

This is to be a gritty, high RP epic. Not epically leveled per se, but a tale of scope and depth.

Though I will lead and introduce possible storylines, the main decisions and directions are yours, for better or for worse. This game will be a bit of a headtrip with much of what you see and seem but a dream within a dream. There will be times you will not be sure what is real and what is surreal, but I will always be dropping hints and clues, and in the end you'll see how everything comes together... if you survive.

I will not fudge rolls, to help myself, or you. I like my fantasy realistic, and your characters may not last to see things through, but in even the most dire circumstances I always leave some type of loophole. You'll have fun with it either way, I assure you.

“I hold a beast, an angel, and a madman in me, and my enquiry is as to their working, and my problem is their subjugation and victory, down throw and upheaval, and my effort is their self-expression.” - Dylan Thomas

“I hold a beast, an angel, and a madman in me, and my enquiry is as to their working, and my problem is their subjugation and victory, down throw and upheaval, and my effort is their self-expression.” - Dylan Thomas

This looks amazing - I've been looking for a campaign with some depth that might actually survive startup...

I really like homebrew campaigns, but I also really like feeling immersed in a world, and homebrew worlds rarely have enough material for you to really stretch out into them. If too much is in the DM's head, then it often feels more artificial when things start connecting. So again: this looks amazing. Hearth and the presentation of it is beautiful. What's more, I feel like your intended campaign style will really fulfil what I've been looking for. That said, it will take a while to absorb.

I jumped over to the scan some of the class material, and the Foregoer really caught my eye. I have no ideas how to build up to one, and I've never considered playing a mongrelfolk before. I really like the flavour, though, and I'm sure it could make a fabulous character. Other than that, I was thinking maybe going for a factotum, or perhaps a knowledge-heavy arcanist/manifester/martial adept. Still looking. My only feeling so far is: unusually well-travelled seeker.

I am interested in this campaign as well, only questions I have is what is the expected activity in posts per day, and would you accept somebody relatively new. By that I mean that I know the basics and the mechanics of the game and can fend for myself I just occasionally have mind blanks on the rules that are lesser used and don't have much DnD experience in general (which the most likely manifestation of will be not remembering to make rolls that I probably should have made(I'm looking at you spot and listen)). So let me know please.

I am interested in this campaign as well, only questions I have is what is the expected activity in posts per day, and would you accept somebody relatively new. By that I mean that I know the basics and the mechanics of the game and can fend for myself I just occasionally have mind blanks on the rules that are lesser used and don't have much DnD experience in general (which the most likely manifestation of will be not remembering to make rolls that I probably should have made(I'm looking at you spot and listen)). So let me know please.

I would like a post every other day, minimum. Preferably every day. Ideally a couple or three a day during battles to keep everything going. I don't expect that though.

As for being new, no problem. I usually enjoy newbies. Tend to be more enthusiastic and try harder than those who've played a hundred games. Makes up for their stumbles during the learning curve.

“I hold a beast, an angel, and a madman in me, and my enquiry is as to their working, and my problem is their subjugation and victory, down throw and upheaval, and my effort is their self-expression.” - Dylan Thomas

I'm interested, but working from my mobile currently (computer is being fixed, probably in asia..stupid Future Shop :P), so I'd like to take up that offer on pointing out what is needed lol

I'm extraordinarily interested though
you're style seems exceptional, ad I've just made a large backstory for a solo game that fell through. I'll tweak it and send it to you and see what you think. you should have it tomorrow